Whether you’re aware of it or not, the way we categorize and label our chemicals is changing. By June 1, 2015 all labels and material safety data sheets (MSDS) will have been updated to reflect this change. This change is known as the GHS and we are going to spend the next few days breaking it down for you and hopefully making it simple enough to understand and comply with.
Emergency Symbol Comprehension
ICE4SAFETY’s trademarked emergency icon was created in 2005 by safety professionals wanting a “Best Practice” highly recognizable and memorable symbol to represent emergency preparedness.
This is especially important for our highly diverse as well as our aging members of society who may find some of the new safety symbology confusing.
We believe we created a very useful and easy to understand representative safety icon and here is the short form reasons why:
Tech Savvy Parents – Smart-ICE4family Ranks in Top 5!
Check it out at iTunes or at www.ems-options.com
The Ubiquitous Mobile Phone Made More Compelling with ICE
By Nancy B. Finn,
More than any other single device or tool, the your wireless mobile phone with its audio, video, built in cameras and access to the Internet right at your fingertips, has the capability to help patients take charge of health issues, engage more effectively with providers, and become educated, empowered, and interactive in healthcare.
“One third of American adults (35%) own a smartphone (iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm). 83% of American adults own some kind of cell phone. These mobile phone users incorporate their mobile devices into their lives, accessing the Internet, sending photos and videos to others, going to twitter and engaging in video calls and chats and seeking and using health information.
Organizing and constructing all manner of emergency preparations working off the floor or on wobbly benches or cluttered kitchen tables can be inefficient and frustrating. Having a solid utilitarian workbench you can custom build yourself (DIY) using common 2×4 lumber will simplify your life considerably.
We built 2 of these simultaneously following instructions with only one modification that allows them to be butted up together back to back to create a larger workspace in an emergency. Normal use would have them against a wall or freestanding. If you are not overly confident cutting wood yourself – you can have the planning worksheet ready when you visit your local big box or lumber merchant. you’ll be done in minutes with minimal waste. (One note Home Depot won’t cut wood under 1 foot in length)
All ICE Cards / Stickers / Banners and printed materials are made in the United States of America. 
USA.
Here is a list of American Made Clothing Products with associated hyperlinks as well from The American List
ABC News has assembled a fledgling State by State List of Companies Producing goods in the USA that you can view online here: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/page/map-find-made-america-goods-13917383
We have all seen the ubiquitous “lost dog” or lost pet poster on a telephone pole or bus stop/billboard at some point in our lives……so why not take the process to a higher level and allow those with smart phones to record and send the info to others using ICE-QR Codes?
You can include the hyperlink to the site where your dogs picture is located…..no more having to put your phone number on the bottom of the poster in little strips……yikes!
Here is a sample Lost Pet ICE-QR Code
Winter is here and propane use is soon to be in full swing for winter heating in many parts of the country. Those who rely on this fuel may also have converted their back up electrical generators to use propane in case of emergency power loss. 
If so, there are some physical properties about Propane that are important to know and that you would not want to learn about when the temperature plummets leaving you powerless just when you would need the services of your generator. We discussed converting your generators to multi-fuel use in previous blog articles.
Cylinder Capacities in Gallons and BTU’s
The Best Way to Cook Corn on the Cob for a Crowd? It’s Cooler Corn! Another good use for food coolers…….(see update below) From some American Friends – a circulating email….I was hepped to it while visiting my family in Maine. Short story: We like corn on the cob. And with eight adults at the table, that means a couple of dozen ears. We would have used the lobster pot to cook them all, but the lobster pot was busy steaming lobster. Then my sister, a capable Maine cook with years of camping experience, said “Let’s do cooler corn!” Before I could ask “What the hell is cooler corn?” a Coleman cooler appeared from the garage, was wiped clean, then filled with the shucked ears. Next, two kettles-full of boiling water were poured over the corn and the top closed. Then, nothing. When we sat down to dinner 30 minutes later and opened it, the corn was perfectly cooked. I’m told that the corn will remain at the perfect level of doneness for a couple of hours. Turns out, Cooler Corn is pretty well known among the outdoorsy set, but for those of us who avoid tents as much as possible, it’s perfect for large barbecues and way less of a mess than grilling. In fact, I may even buy another cooler just so I’m ready for next summer, now that I’m in the know.. Update: We failed to mention this should be used in an emergency situation – we were reminded recently that unless a plastic container is labeled as being approved for handling food/cooking it should not be used on a regular basis due to the leaching of chemicals that may be hazardous to your health. You may oddly enough be faced with cooking the only food you have – in this case corn – for a group of people. You could also cook other types of food in this manner as well. Corn is a highly popular treat of course. Bottom Line – Yes- it works, but keep it in mind for an emergency – An alternative method if you have a large enough cooler would be to place food safe metal/glass containers (like aluminum party dish, pyrex ware etc) inside the cooler and pour in the water to accomplish the same result – now you would have a super insulated steamer – without the worry. When you are evacuating or surviving in unfamiliar territory you might have to rely on a variety of methods to stay alive – likely NOT worrying about whether you will get cancer in 20-30 years. Some coolers, like the very expensive Yeti Coolers are made of food grade plastic. |